Live-Fly Exercise to Feature Fighter Escort of Civilian Aircraft

Published: April 24, 2012

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF–RICHARDSON, ALASKA – Two U.S. Air Force fighter aircraft will be visible in the vicinity of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport the morning of Wednesday, April 25, as part of Exercise Arctic Fencing Interagency (AFI) Arrow 12.

The Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Region (ANR), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (TSAIA) Police/Fire, Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Anchorage Police Department and Alaska State Troopers, and Northern Air Cargo (NAC) are all playing a role in the live-fly exercise.

The scenario-based exercise will include the live escort of a cargo aircraft by two fighter aircraft deployed to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) into TSAIA. Additionally, emergency response apparatus and personnel will be on scene at the NAC ramp.

The exercise is designed to hone ANR’s intercept and identification operations and handoff procedures of a “track of interest” to state and federal law enforcement/emergency response personnel and their ability to conduct response procedures to an on-board threat.

As part of the exercise scenario, the cargo aircraft will be identified as a track of interest. ANR will then initiate the scramble of fighter aircraft. After the track of interest is escorted to a landing at TSAIA, the scenario shifts to the terminal at the NAC side of the airport ramp, where law enforcement/emergency response personnel will respond to the situation and conduct the necessary procedures to resolve the threat.

This is the second Exercise AFI-Arrow. The first, conducted in May 2010, involved an Air Force KC-135 as the track of interest and FBI and the Federal Air Marshal Service – who responded to the on-board threat while the aircraft was airborne – conducting response operations at JBER.